Under the Dome

This week on the Under the Dome podcast, join host Dawn Vaughan and reporters Avi Bajpai and Korie Dean for a deep dive into veto overrides, diversity, equity and inclusion conflicts, and swing votes shaping state policies this summer. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guest: Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean Executive Producer: Laura Brache Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives d...

Host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics team colleague Kyle Ingram and N&O summer interns, Ronni Butts and Sophia Bailly, about U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis announcing he won’t be running for reelection, what this could mean for the remainder of Tillis’ term, and who could step into the race next. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guest: Sophia Bailley, Ronni Butts, Kyle Ingram Producer: Gabi Hartlaub Executive Producer: L...

This week at the North Carolina General Assembly is going to be jam packed. We are in the final week of the legislative long session — sort of. Most policy will be passed during this last week, but not the biggest bill of all: the state budget. Host Dawn Vaughan breaks it all down with politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Korie Dean. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guests: Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean Executive P...

Host Dawn Vaughan and WUNC's Colin Campbell talk about how the 2025 long legislative session is going, especially with Republican House Speaker Destin Hall at the helm for the first time. They discuss what and how policy, procedures, politics — and yet, even the schedule — is different under Hall compared to former House Speaker Tim Moore, who is now in Congress. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guest: Colin Ca...

Host Dawn Vaughan interviews North Carolina Rep. Allen Chesser of Nash County about the family tragedy that led to his run for the state House, and the status of his bill about foster care, and why he recruited Democratic Rep. Vernetta Alston to cosponsor. Stay tuned until the end for Headliner of the Week. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guest: Rep. Allen Chesser Executive Producer: Laura Brache Want even mor...

On this episode, host Dawn Vaughan talks with McClatchy DC correspondent Danielle Battaglia about Congress’ Big Beautiful Bill and what it means for the state, plus the roles of Sens. Thom Tillis and Ted Budd. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guest: Danielle Battaglia Executive Producer: Laura Brache Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter dives deep into all things #ncpol and...

Paul Tine became North Carolina’s Division of Motor Vehicles commissioner on May 6, taking over a state agency known mostly these days for long lines and poor customer service. This episode includes highlights from an interview with Tine. He sat down with The News & Observer's transportation reporter Richard Stradling on Friday, May 9, 2025, his fourth day in office. The interview has been edited...

Host Dawn Vaughan is joined by K-12 education reporter T. Keung Hui and politics reporter Avi Bajpai to discuss what’s in the NC House budget, including cuts, a UNC System tuition increase, and what the House wants to do in the areas of education and public safety. Host: ⁠Dawn Vaughan⁠ Guests: T. Keung Hui & Avi Bajpai Executive Producer: Kevin Keister ⁠ Want even more North Carolina politics news...

Host Dawn Vaughan interviews Rep. Jake Johnson, a Polk County Republican, about his early start in politics and what’s going on in the North Carolina House of Representatives, from the upcoming state budget to crossover to his role on the House Oversight Committee. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guest:  Executive Producer: Laura Brache Want even more North Carolina politics news? Our Under the Dome newsletter...

This is crossover week, the busy time at the North Carolina General Assembly that leads up to the May 8 crossover deadline. That’s a self-imposed cutoff date for legislation to pass at least one chamber. Host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics editor Jordan Schrader and politics reporter Kyle Ingram and break down what that means for North Carolina laws. Host: ⁠⁠Dawn Vaughan⁠⁠ Guest: Kyle Ingram, Jord...

The North Carolina General Assembly is back in session after a weeklong break, with a packed schedule of bills moving through various committees. While legislators were away last week, a lawsuit resulting from a bill they passed in December was in court. Host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram discuss a ruling in that lawsuit over governor and auditor appoint...

Four Senate Democrats voted for the Republican-written Senate budget last week, setting up seats at the negotiating table for them as the budget progresses. Host Dawn Vaughan talks to legislative reporting colleague Avi Bajpai and higher education reporter Korie Dean to break down the budget, including how the Senate’s budget impacts the UNC System. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guest: Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean...

North Carolina is getting ​closer to a resolution in the N.C. Supreme Court case between Allison Riggs and Jefferson Griffin. Host Dawn Vaughan and politics reporters Kyle Ingram and Avi Bajpai talk extensively about the latest in the race between Riggs, who is the Democratic incumbent on the court, and Griffin, the Republican candidate and a Court of Appeals judge. Plus, another court case about...

Host Dawn Vaughan and McClatchy DC's Danielle Battaglia discuss how President Donald Trump’s tariffs are costing Americans money, and not all Republicans are falling in line behind the president’s costly decisions. So what do North Carolina’s members of Congress say about the tariffs? And who’s not talking yet, and what does that mean? Stay tuned to the end for Headliner of the Week. Host: Dawn Va...

Democratic Sen. Woodson Bradley from Mecklenburg County discusses a debate over concealed carry gun permits on the Senate floor. Bradley talks about how she won a close, and closely watched, race last year in a swing district, and her priorities in office. Stay tuned to the end for Headliner of the Week. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guests: Sen. Woodson Bradley Executive Producer: Laura Brache Want even mor...

Host Dawn Vaughan talks to fellow political reporters Kyle Ingram and Avi Bajpai about new developments in the still-unresolved North Carolina Supreme Court race and how a Senate floor debate showed what how debate may go​ the rest of this session may look like. Vaughan shares that the governor’s budget proposal has landed on lawmakers’ desks. Stay tuned to the end for our picks for Headliner of t...

For the week of March 10, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics team colleague Avi Bajpai and higher education reporter Korie Dean. They discuss Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s State of the State speech and House Speaker Destin Hall’s Republican response, and what’s going on in the UNC System scrubbing language related to diversity, equity and inclusion. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guests: Avi Bajpai, Kor...

For the week of March 10, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks to colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram about upcoming Senate action on legislation about the attorney general and President Donald Trump executive orders, diversity, equity and inclusion in K-12 schools, along with immigration bills moving in both chambers. Plus, what to expect with the upcoming Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s State of the Sta...

For the week of March 3, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram about the latest news from the North Carolina General Assembly and what to expect this week. The House Oversight Committee has started a series of hearings about state agencies, particularly the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles and agencies using any diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) pr...

For the week of Feb. 24, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks to politics team colleague Avi Bajpai and newsroom colleague Brian Gordon, who is The N&O’s business and technology reporter. New Republican House Speaker Destin Hall’s cryptocurrency bill. House Bill 92 would allow State Treasurer Brad Briner to invest in “qualified digital assets.” Gordon explains why Republicans and others are supporters of...

For the week of Feb. 17, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks to new N.C. Labor Commissioner Luke Farley, a Republican about everything from elevators, the Labor Building itself, the 10% raises he wants for inspectors, eliminating DEI in his agency to getting Cherie Berry’s endorsement and more. Stay tuned until the end for Headliner of the Week. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guests: N.C. Commissioner of Labor Luke...

For the week of Feb. 10, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks to Washington correspondent Danielle Battaglia about the fire hose of President Donald Trump orders, comments and decisions over the past few weeks, including giving Elon Musk power, and the subsequent protest in downtown Raleigh against it all. Plus what people should know about Washington-area federal employees. After the break, they talk ab...

Dawn Vaughan, The News & Observer’s Capitol bureau chief, is joined by her politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram along with Korie Dean, who covers higher education to talk about the General Assembly session business beginning for 2025, the redistricting trial, and UNC Board of Governors. Host: Dawn Vaughan Guests: Avi Bajpai, Korie Dean and Kyle Ingram Producer: Kevin Keister Want ev...

For the week of Jan. 27, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks with legislative team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Kyle Ingram about the General Assembly beginning its work and what's first on deck. They also talk about the recent death of Rep. Joe John and President Donald Trump’s flurry of executive orders during the first week of his term, and a trickle-down effect in state government. Host: Dawn Vaughan G...

For the week of Jan. 20, 2025, host Dawn Vaughan talks to N&O politics team colleagues Avi Bajpai and Luciana Perez Uribe Guinassi about what North Carolina and the country can expect in the first weeks of the new Trump administration. Some of the issues at play include immigration, taxes and the pressure to lower costs for Americans. After the break, Guinassi shares what she’s learned from an int...